US Domestic News Roundup: Biden, Kishida likely to discuss Texas bullet train project, sources say; US Justice Dept rebuffs Republican demand for audio of Biden interview and more

The leaders may publicly voice support for the multi-billion-dollar Texas project after Wednesday's talks, which have been partly overshadowed by U.S. opposition to another Japanese investment, Nippon Steel's planned purchase of U.S. Steel. US Justice Dept rebuffs Republican demand for audio of Biden interview The U.S. Justice Department on Monday rebuffed demands by Republicans in the House of Representatives to hand over audio recordings of President Joe Biden's interviews with a special counsel whose report questioning Biden's memory set off a political firestorm.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Biden, Kishida likely to discuss Texas bullet train project, sources say

President Joe Biden is seeking to revive interest in a plan to build the first high-speed rail in the U. S. using Japanese bullet trains, with sources saying he is likely to discuss the project with Japan's prime minister in Washington this week. The leaders may publicly voice support for the multi-billion-dollar Texas project after Wednesday's talks, which have been partly overshadowed by U.S. opposition to another Japanese investment, Nippon Steel's planned purchase of U.S. Steel.

US Justice Dept rebuffs Republican demand for audio of Biden interview

The U.S. Justice Department on Monday rebuffed demands by Republicans in the House of Representatives to hand over audio recordings of President Joe Biden's interviews with a special counsel whose report questioning Biden's memory set off a political firestorm. Special Counsel Robert Hur angered House Republicans by deciding not to pursue criminal charges against Democrat Biden for retaining classified records dating back to his time serving as vice president under Barack Obama. The department had charged Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for keeping classified documents after he left the White House.

Explainer-How Boeing's latest crisis could imperil its 2021 DOJ crash agreement

U.S. authorities are facing fresh pressure from families of the victims of two fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes to criminally prosecute the aerospace company following a January mid-air blowout that exposed ongoing safety issues. Victims' representatives meeting on Tuesday and later this month with U.S. Justice Department officials are expected to say that Boeing violated a 2021 deal with prosecutors to overhaul its compliance program following crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. That settlement shielded Boeing from criminal prosecution.

US Republicans urge Ukraine aid vote, after 'Russian propaganda' warnings

Former U.S. President Donald Trump's secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, added his voice on Monday to growing calls from prominent Republicans to pass billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine, after some party members accused aid opponents of succumbing to Russian propaganda. Democratic President Joe Biden's request for $95 billion for Ukraine, Israel, and other allies passed the U.S. Senate with 70% support but has been stalled for weeks in the House of Representatives as Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to allow a vote.

Total solar eclipse: North Americans celebrate with cheers, music and matrimony

Throngs of skywatchers across North America gazed upward at a blackened sun in the midday dusk on Monday, celebrating with cheers, music and matrimony the first total solar eclipse to darken the continent in seven years. From a Mexican beach resort close to where the eclipse made landfall to the banks of the Ohio River and farther north beyond the roaring cascades of Niagara Falls at the U.S.-Canadian border, spellbound crowds reacted to the sight of "totality" with jaw-dropping expressions of awe and joy.

Special counsel urges US Supreme Court to reject Trump immunity bid

The special counsel pursuing federal criminal charges against Donald Trump for his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss filed a U.S. Supreme Court brief on Monday urging the justices to reject the former president's bid for immunity from prosecution on the principle that "no person is above the law." The case is due to be argued before the justices on April 25. Trump has appealed a lower court's rejection of his request to be shielded from the criminal case brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith because he was serving as president when he took the actions at the center of the case.

Parents of Michigan school shooter to be sentenced in rare US case

The parents of a Michigan boy who shot and killed four classmates are set to be sentenced on Tuesday after juries convicted them of manslaughter, a rare case of parents being held responsible in a school shooting. Jennifer and James Crumbley, who were tried separately this year, both face up to 15 years in prison in connection with the 2021 shooting their son, Ethan, carried out.

Norfolk to settle Ohio derailment class action lawsuit for $600 million

U.S. railroad operator Norfolk Southern said on Tuesday it had reached a $600 million deal to resolve a class action lawsuit related to the East Palestine, Ohio derailment last year. The agreement, which needs to be approved by a court, will resolve all class action claims within a 20-mile radius from the derailment and, for those residents who choose to participate, personal injury claims within a 10-mile radius, the company said in a statement.

Trump says abortion laws should be decided by US states

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Monday that abortion laws should be determined by U.S. states, stopping short of proposing a national ban that could have imperiled his chances with swing voters in the November election. Trump previously signaled support for a ban beyond 15 weeks of pregnancy but said political considerations were paramount in the first presidential election since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, ending a nearly 50-year federal right to the procedure.

Trump hush money trial stems from 'zombie case' brought back to life

Manhattan prosecutors started and stopped the investigation that culminated in Donald Trump's upcoming criminal trial so many times that it came to be known as a "zombie case," like the mythical character who returns from the dead. The first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president is set to begin on April 15.

(With inputs from agencies.)